Get the scoop from the KCrew as they share their experiences as members of your friendly Royals fan interactive team. Leave your comments and questions, and get to know the K Crew!

Royals fans never cease to amaze me. It can be 105 in July or -5 in January, they still have huge hearts for their team. It was the dead of winter with a solid foot of snow on the ground a couple weeks ago and Royal’s fans still came to support our beloved baseball team. January 20-22 was an event-filled weekend, jam packed with autograph signings, giveaways, player interviews, and plenty of games to go around.

FanFest is a wonderful opportunity for fans to meet the players in a more personal setting. It provides a chance for young kids to meet their idols and gain autographs to store in their collection. It allows for the die hard Royals fans to meet and greet with new additions to the roster. And for some, like me, it gives us the chance to become even more excited about the much anticipated baseball season.

Sporting our royal blue shorts and white baseball jerseys for the weekend, it was a great getaway from this dreadful weather. We all got to watch so many talented drum lines, dance teams, and acrobatic groups. It is amazing the talent that surrounds us in Kansas City. FanFest is a great opportunity for these talents to shine.

Along with the opportunity to see some of our favorite players again, it gave us, the KCrew, a chance to see each other again and hang out with the new girls. This year there are 11 veterans and 5 rookies. With an 81 game schedule, we all become like sisters. During the summer, I see these girls more than I see my own family. We all have a great time together and get along so well. Come October, it is a bittersweet ending to the season. Thankfully, FanFest acts as a family reunion for us. I cannot wait to spend the summer with all these lovely ladies.

In addition to seeing the KCrew girls, it was great to see so many familiar faces at FanFest. I love seeing our season ticket holders wearing their hats filled with collectible pins and I love meeting so many new faces who are as excited for the season as we are.

While FanFest is a great weekend, it is quite a teaser for baseball season. I love my college football and basketball, but I could really go for some baseball under the bright lights. See you all in 50 days (and counting)!!

There are many cool opportunities that come along with being a part of the KCrew. One of the most recent ones was being able to go live on Hot 103 Jamz with host Sean Tyler. Hot 103 Jamz is a local radio station broadcasted live to millions of people throughout the Kansas City area. Sandy, Megan and I had the amazing opportunity to promote walk ups for the 2011 KCrew auditions.

Before the interview I was very nervous. Who knew talking on the radio would be more nerve wracking than doing camera interviews at Royals games? Maybe it was the thought that it would be broadcasted live to thousands of drivers on their way home from work! But as soon as we got to the station, we were greeted by smiling faces that put our nerves at ease.

One of the first people we met was Rich McCauley. He is the Marketing and Promotions director for Carter Broadcast Group, Inc. He escorted us to the room where our interview would take place. At that time he spoke to us about the history of the Carter Broadcast Group and how they had just had their 60th year anniversary and are still going strong. The next person we met was Sean Tyler himself! I was more familiar with his voice than his face. It’s very interesting seeing someone after listening to them for so long. There he briefed us on what questions he would be asking us and reassured us that everything would go fine.

After about 10 minutes, we were on air. We talked about what KCrew does, how fun it is, and how people could join by coming to the audition the next day. It was over so fast. Our nervous energy had paid off and we got the job done!

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:1. 18+ and a high school graduate by January 1, 2011 (valid photo I.D. required) 2. Candidates must provide a full length, color photo and head shot of yourself (preferably in workout attire) that will become property of the Royals (may be a snap shot).3. Candidates must submit a $15 non-refundable application processing fee in the form of a check or money order (Make payable to the Kansas City Royals) PLEASE, NO CASH.4. Candidates must be willing to devote a large percentage of time to the K Crew program, including attendance at rehearsals, all designated games, community events and other mandatory appearances in and around the Kansas City area. Must have flexible schedule for nights, weekends and holidays.5. Candidates must have reliable transportation and live in or close to the Kansas City area.6. Candidates must have the stamina and fitness level to perform athletic activities in conditions of summer heat.7. Candidates must demonstrate good moral character and be drug free.8. Candidates must be able to perform activities and interact with fans on camera in front of large crowds. Prior performance, entertainment, public relations, and/or broadcasting experience preferred. 9. Candidates must have outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and a positive, energetic personality. Must be able to handle situations with a quick and professional response.10. Candidates must be reliable, punctual, and courteous. Should have good listening skills and an ability to work with brief instruction as part of a team. 11. Knowledge of the game of baseball is preferred. 12. No candidate may presently be affiliated with or be a representative of any other semi-professional or professional athletic franchise.

STOP, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:In order for your application to be complete and accepted, please follow these guidelines:1. The following items must be completed and returned to the Kansas City Royals offices. a. K Crew Application-Deadline for Pre-Registration is Monday, November 1st b. Signed Release Formc. Full length, color photo and head shotd. $15 non-refundable application processing fee

2. Application, release form, full length photo and head shot, and $15 non-refundable application fee can be submitted through the following options: a. Mail: K Crew Auditions – One Royal Way – Kansas City, MO 64129b. Drop-off: Kauffman Stadium (Gate C)3. Walk-ups day of auditions are also welcomed.

MANDATORY AUDITION ATTIRE:Athletic shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. Applicants will not be considered without this attire.

One of the main, most important part of our jobs is interacting with anyone and everyone that comes through the gates of Kauffman stadium. We find the little kids that are at the stadium for the very first time, or find the couple celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. It never ceases to amaze us, each and every game, we meet someone that is truly fascinating. We aim to make each experience at the ‘K’ a memorable one by handing out tattoos and pens or just inquiring about what brought them to the ‘K’. Every game is packed with people with such interesting stories and huge hearts for the Royals. While we strive to make the experience at the stadium better for our fans, we sometimes find people that make our night at work more memorable. I am here to give a shout-out to two very important people that the K Crew has had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with this season.

Our first shout-out goes to our number one fan, Lily. Lily is an adorable eight-year-old with so much enthusiasm and excitement. We were approached with an email from Lily’s mom explaining how much she loves attending the games and meeting the K Crew. Yes, K Crew. Lily would watch for us and make a point to talk to as many of us as she could each time she visited the ‘K’. We had the opportunity to show her some behind the scenes that most people don’t see. Our K Crew meeting room is a simple room, big enough for all of us to gather before the games and prepare. We took Lily there and I have never seen someone’s eyes become so big. While we were in the room she passed out pictures she had drawn of all of us! (Which we still have hanging on our K Crew wall.) She had looked at our website pictures and drew us a picture based on those! You could sense the sheer joy she was experiencing, so we decided to carry on the tour and have her walk around with us. If she were a few years older, I would fear losing my job with how great Lily was at our job. She would talk to the fans, hand out tattoos, and rally with us. We all know baseball season is a long one, but seeing how much fun Lily was having at our job, she really gave us back some lost energy we may have been experiencing the past couple weeks. Her last thing she told us that night was her dream job in a couple years is to be on K Crew! Good luck Lily with your dream! You will make a great K Crew member one day!

The next hello and huge thank you goes out to Chris. Chris is the ultimate Royal’s SuperFan! I am sure everyone has seen him if you have walked anywhere in the stadium. He is in the outfield experience, down by the fountains, up in view level, behind home plate, all over, every game. Chris walks around in his Royals gear proud, cheering on our boys, and happily posing for pictures when approached. The first time I met Chris was this year when Katie and I were in charge of the Hy-Vee Fan of the Game promotion.This prize is given out to one lucky fan that is outrageous and eye-drawing enough to be located by the Royals camera crew. Chris was the lucky one this game. Katie and I found out his location and walked his prize out to him on the Pepsi Party Porch. Come to find out, this was Chris’ 500th consecutive home game! 500!! He has not missed one game since his high school graduation! On top of 500 straight games, Chris attends 25% of all of the Royals away games, every season. Talk about a true fan! We are so lucky to continually see Chris out there cheering on our beloved blue and white!

It’s been less than a month since I’ve written on this blog to all of my favorite Royals’ fans, but quite a bit has happened in that short amount of time. I married the love of my life at the most special and perfect wedding ever, then we headed to New York City for Broadway shows, fancy hotel and restaurants, and photo shoots that were all our gift from my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury and our new friends at MyWedding.Com. (You can read more about that unbelievable story at mywedding.com/shippmates) Then we went on our actual honeymoon to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where among the jungles and ziplines and swimming with dolphins, I proudly sported my KC ROYALS tank top! EVERY time someone asked where we were from I proudly said, “KC, MO– home of the Kansas City ROYALS!”

We are now home for two days before heading back to The Big Apple to be on The Today Show with Karen (my crazy amazing author friend). During my pre-interview with the producer from The Today Show, they asked me about my job out at the stadium, and I was so excited to tell them about the best job in the whole world. It also reminded me that a couple of blogs ago, I promised some pictures from the amaziness that was our engagement session with Jesseca Hattey of Epaga Foto.

These pictures were especially precious and special to me, as they showcased my very favorite place with my very favorite person. Jess didn’t need to remind me to smile, because I had the biggest and most ridiculous grin on my face the entire time out of sheer JOY AND EXCITEMENT that I was at MY FAVORITE PLACE WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE… GETTING MY PICTURE TAKEN! I mean SO MUCH WONDERFUL going on!!!

We started with some fun ones in the outfield experience and then moved to the heart and soul of all that is Royals baseball with our gorgeous stadium and field providing the perfect background for our very own field of dreams.

After being to New York, Mexico, and back to NYC– this KC girl has loved every minute of the journey, but also can’t wait to get back home to KC to work my first game as Erica SHIPPY! Until then, enjoy the pictures and tune in to The Today Show on Monday (July 12) during the 9:00 hour to see Karen and I chatting it up with Kathie Lee! You better bet I’m going to take her a Royals bracelet!

I recently had the immense pleasure of meeting Marcia Merrick, the creator of “Reaching Out” and consequently the winner of “People All-Stars Among Us“. Marcia will be representing Kansas City at the 81st All-Star Game. I can proudly say, I couldn’t think of a better person for that honor!

Marcia is hands down one of the most inspirational women I have ever met. Here’s a little background on her organization. She wakes up every morning at 4:00am to pack 400 lunches by noon. (I teach for a living and I can hardly make one lunch in time for school in the morning!) Marcia then drives to 11 locations around the city and passes out each lunch personally. The best part about these lunches is the fact that she puts a note of encouragement in each bag. I’m sure without a doubt, that those notes touch thousands of hearts a week. After she distributes her lunches, she goes home and bakes 800 cookies in preparation for the next day! Talk about dedication and commitment!

Marcia created “Reaching Out” all on her own because she saw a need in the city. Marcia wouldn’t let anything stop her from making the only meal many of her friends will eat each day. I say “friends”, because that is what Marcia calls them. She has created a bond and relationship with many of the people she provides lunches for. That’s what truly makes her an All-Star.

Now, those are the just the plain facts about Marcia, but let me tell you how she has touched my life. I had the opportunity to complete a pre-game interview with her, where we not only discussed her business, but she took a genuine interest in my life. She asked me about my job, my fiancé, my summer, and lots more! It was so wonderful to meet someone for the very first time and feel like you have known them forever. A few weeks later, I found out Marcia had won the “People All-Stars Among Us” and would be back at the game to be honored. When the day arrived for Marcia to be back at the stadium, I made it a point to stop by and congratulate her! When I stopped by her seat, her face lit up like it was a holiday! She made me feel like I was the most special person she had ever seen! She stood up, gave me a hug, kissed my cheek, asked me how I was doing– all before I could even congratulate her on her win! She was more concerned with my life, than the amazing honor she was receiving. That is a testament to the person Marcia truly is. She wanted nothing more, but to further build the relationship we had already created, than discuss herself.

Marcia told me something that I know I will never forget. She referenced that fact that I’m a teacher and reminded me that, “We will never know how much we are truly touching people’s lives, and every little thing counts. Don’t expect anything in return, and give all you have. Because each life is worth something, and the relationships we build are the most precious gifts we give.”

Marcia, you have been a true inspiration to me. I am so thankful that I had a chance to meet you and I hope to one day create a legacy as wonderful as yours! Good luck at the All-Star game, and don’t forget to wear your KCrew pin! –Danaya

Bright lights. Enthusiastic fans. Fireworks. There is something so euphoric about Friday Night games at The K. Last Friday was no different. Whether you are there for work or to enjoy a baseball game, walking in to the stadium on a Friday night has a way of putting a smile on just about anyone’s face.

With smiles already on, an extra boost of excitement was added upon hearing who would be gracing Royals fans with their presence. While we love all of our Royals fans and think they are all beyond amazing, it is not every day big-time celebrities attend a baseball game at The K. Many whispers and questions were asked by fans wondering if Will Ferrell was really in the third base dugout suite. It was so fun to say, “Yes! He actually is here tonight!”

Along with the beloved Will Ferrell was Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Horatio Sanz and Rob Riggle. With these great guys being in the dugout suite, seeing them from afar was our only real option. During the 8th inning, Sandy, Kelly, Kristina, Taylor and I all got the opportunity to change that. Walking excitedly to the dugout suite with camera in hand, we were all ready for our celebrity encounter. Between the five guys, they made us feel like we were the celebrities, yelling “Hey, it’s the K Crew!!!” Cheering as we walked in, they were no different than the awesome fans sitting up in the view level. They were courteous to take pictures with us, letting us know that it would look best with one K Crew member between each of them!

Everyone eagerly accepted tattoos and pins, especially Paul Rudd’s four-year-old son, Jack. He was SO excited to be at the baseball game, exclaiming that Sluggerrr came down and even gave him an autograph just for him. Jack was beyond adorable and even more lovable when he admitted, “Sluggerrr and the Royals are the greatest and bestest in baseball.” While hanging out with Paul Rudd’s little boy I had to drop in that myself and one other K Crew girl went to the same high school as he and Jason (Go Vikings!), telling him that’s my claim to fame! They were overzealous talking about the ‘”good ol’ days from high school”!

All of these men have made appearances on Saturday Night Live, blockbuster movies and popular TV shows. While they are all funny business most of the time, that was not the case on Friday night. With three of the five hailing from the Overland Park area, Royals baseball and Kansas City is home to them. Coming back to help out and give back to the community was not only an option but also a necessity. They all participated in the Big Slick Poker Tournament on Saturday to raise money for Children’s Mercy Hospital.

While the opportunity to throw the first pitch(s) and sing the Seventh Inning Stretch was enticing, coming back to Kansas City was important to them for more reasons then soaking up a Friday night game. Showing the support and love for this great town, which holds many memories for them, was just one of the things these men do for others.

Between the school year ending (shout out here to my faves from Grain Valley High School), graduations, wedding planning, writing weekly columns for two local papers, seven bridal showers, more wedding planning, engagement pics, and keeping up with the 42 text messages and emails I get daily, I somehow didn’t have time to work last homestand! So I was especially eager to be heading to the games this past homestand. With as crazy and busy as my schedule is right now, I almost forgot how much I adore my favorite stadium in the whole world. While this is officially a “job,” unofficially it’s like a sanctuary for me. A place of excitement mixed with relaxing and enjoying America’s favorite pasttime. I was so glad I made time to work this past homestand because being out there singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was a breath of fresh air from the craziness that has become my life lately.

And as always, I had the opportunity to meet some incredibly awesome fans! As a member of K Crew, our job this year has changed a little bit. In the past, we were in charge of finding contestants for promotions and running those promotions throughout the game. This year, Game Crew takes care of all of that, leaving our primary focus being fan interaction. Yes, that means we get paid to hang out with YOU. To cheer with you. To high five everyone in the section when Billy Butler hits a home run. To throw you hot dogs. To give you tattoos and pins and most recently the new K Crew autograph card. That is our job.

Before I continue, I do want to give such a genuine and sincere shout out here to our awesome Game Crew. They run the promotions with perfection and find such enthusiastic, great fans. I had the pleasure of getting to know Matthew and Andrew a little better after I assisted them with DiGiorno Seat Upgrade, and I was so impressed with their execution of their job, but also the upbeat and excited attitude they had toward their role here at The K. Thanks for all of your help Game Crew–we really appreciate all you guys do!

Because of their awesome work, we really do get to completely direct our energy and attention to you, our awesome and loyal fans. I feel like it’s always “a great day to be a Royals fan” and be out at the stadium, but there are some nights that I especially feel a special connection with fans. Last Tuesday night was one of those night. Let me take you along a pictorial journey of my evening that led to me leaving and texting eight of my best friends, “I just had a really great K Crew night–I had the best talks with so many incredible fans!!”

Meet Adorable and Precious. I mean do these two cute little ladies not just scream all that is adorable and precious? They were so kind to even offer me a lick of one of their suckers. I am all about fan interaction, but sharing suckers is about where I draw the line. Thanks for the offer though girls, and most of all thanks for being such a great fans!!!

And now let me introduce you to more of my new friends, who are actually baseball stars themselves. These two guys had their gloves ready and that is perhaps my favorite kind of fan. Love it.

This very special lady is Kathleen. As I was getting ready to get up on the dugout for the Seventh Inning Stretch, I heard a confident voice starting a cheer of, “Let’s go Royals, let’s go!” I turned around to see Kathleen on her feet completely getting those around her excited for her team! I was so proud of her enthusiasm and passion for the Royals, that I just knew I had to throw my towel to her from the dugout. She was so excited and appreciative. Kathleen, keep up the awesome cheering and in a few years, you might just be taking my job up on the dugout!

Tuesday evening we had a request for appearance up in the Hy-Vee Level while we were all down on Field Level. I heard through our radios that the request was for a 50th wedding anniversary, and as the bride-to-be and hopeless romantic that I am, I was just getting ready to volunteer via our radio for that appearance. However, our boss knows me well and already was on the radio asking me if I wanted to go up there to do it! The inning got busy, and as I was literally sprinting up the seven flights of stairs, I almost thought it might not be worth the time it was going to take to get up there and then back down for the next appearance I had. Boy, was I wrong! I get up to Norma and Gene’s section to see all of their family surrounding them for such a special celebration of their FIFTY years of marriage! Kids, grandkids, friends…it was just such a sweet moment. And THEN I saw Norma and Gene themselves who just couldn’t have looked more in love and sweet on each other as they must have 50 years ago before their “I dos.” I had to tell them that my own “I dos” were just 20 days away, and they audibly shared their congratulations for me while everything about their body language and non-verbals shared an inspiration for me to achieve the commitment and work of celebrating 50 years with Ryan one day…and where else, but at The K!

In 50 years we shall come back to my favorite stadium to celebrate, but tomorrow we’re going to be out at The K for some engagement pictures! When we first met with our photographer, we brainstormed special places we loved and naturally Kauffman Stadium was at the top of that list. Tomorrow I will be at my favorite place in the world, with my favorite guy, taking pictures (for those that know me, you know that is another favorite of mine)…it almost sounds like a favorite movie of mine…Field of Dreams? I think so!

Next week will feature a special blog with my new friend Flat Stanley! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come as you see Flat entering the game with me and my super sweet and amazing fellow K Crew girl, Chelsea!

This week is a special treat for all of our K Crew blog readers – a guest blog entry from Megan! Enjoy!

When people say there is no greater joy than kids, they were totally correct. This past weekend Sandy, Danaya, Sam and I got the opportunity to do an appearance at the March of Dimes’ annual event March for Babies. When we arrived at 8am at the Power and Light District, ready to hand out tattoos and pins, we were blown away with the amount of joy and enthusiasm that filled this Saturday morning event.

March for Babies is an event that raises money to help families with premature babies. A mile long walk was set up for all participants downtown. We came across 8,000 people excited to walk for these little faces, and it did not take long to realize what a great day this would be.

One of the first people we came across was this adorable man, Don Post. After talking to Don, we came to realize that there were so many special people that surrounded this event. Each year Don is in charge of all volunteers for March for Babies and Bikers for Babies, both events needing 300+ volunteers. Dubbed the “Volunteer Extraordinaire,” Don is amazing at rallying his troops. Even though he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 1980, he still puts his heart and soul into these events. Every year he is out there supporting this foundation and helping in any and every way he can.

While we were walking around, spreading Royals cheer, we came across so many families with such amazing stories. Hearing what these families went through for their little babies is amazing. Another great person we met was Cameron, also known as “The One Pound Miracle,” and his parents. Cameron’s parents told us about the hoops that preemies and their parents have to jump through to make it just one more day. In Cameron’s case, 104 days in the NICU – 104 days of anticipating what it was going to be like to take Baby Cameron home. It was amazing to see the love that everyone had for these preemie babies, and also the people walking in support of the babies they had lost.

The Kansas City March for Babies has always been successful, and this year was no different. On a gloomy Saturday morning 8,000 people came out to support this amazing cause, and they raised $850,000. While the potential for rain may have been looming over our heads, it was a beautiful day filled with hope and gracious hearts. The K Crew is so blessed to have opportunities such as this to get out into the community and meet more amazing people and Royals fans!

After way too long and COLD of a winter, BASEBALL SEASON IS BACK!!! It was so exciting to be back out at The K seeing so many of you who we had missed all winter long!

I’m going to re-cap our first homestand with some pictures and commentaries of all the fun going on during our first week of baseball for the 2010 season!

Let’s just start off with this picture of Chelsea, Lauren and me…oh yeah and David Cook. No big deal, right? Again, let me just say- we have THE coolest job ever. Here’s where I do need to be honest and confess that I’ve never seen a single episode of American Idol (sorry, David). No worries though, because my new friend Chelsea has FOR SURE made up for my lack of viewing, because this girl was SO EXCITED to see her favorite American Idol!!!

This is where I need to genuinely thank you, my faithful blog readers, because it is because of THIS VERY BLOG that I get to do things such as sit down with David in his suite and ask him some questions. All for you, my awesome readers. David was completely down to earth, playing with his cousins and just hanging out watching the game. I asked him about his favorite Royals memory, and he said it would have to be during the 2003 season when he was working out at the stadium (yep, he spent several seasons working out at The K!). He said that just the spirit and excitement of all of the fans was so enthusiastic and energetic and made for such an awesome season.

David also complimented the people of Kansas City as being “unlike the people anywhere else.” I wasn’t sure what he meant and when I inquired a little further, he explained, “People everywhere else call me Mr. Cook. Everyone here calls me David.” He said it’s so great to be back home and receive such a warm response from the people of KC. We were surely glad to have him singing the anthem for us Opening Day, and I won’t drive past the “Home of David Cook” sign on I-70 ever again without thinking about what a genuinely nice guy David is, not to mention a ROYALS FAN!!!

Now David, take no offense to this, but when I sent a text to my dad to tell him that I had the opportunity to be in charge of the Buck O’Neil Legacy Seat for Opening Day with John Wathan AND that I would get to meet David Cook, my dad replied, “Who is David Cook? YOU GET TO MEET THE DUKE!!!” My dad was teasing and of course knows who David Cook is, but the super Royals fan in him was even MORE excited about the fact I’d be talking to The Duke! It certainly was my pleasure to get to visit with such an important person in Royals baseball!

And last, but certainly not least, are some pictures of the awesome fans that were out and cheering for their favorite team on Opening Day. I sincerely really do mean it when I say “but certainly not least,” because while hanging out with David Cook and John Wathan was obviously exciting, K Crew’s main focus is YOU. The fan. The guy that comes out night after night to watch the Royals play. The sweet old lady that keeps the score book to be a part of the game. The precious little kid with cotton candy and a tattoo who is SO EXCITED to be here. YOU are who we are here for…to cheer with you, to visit with you, and to make lifetime friendships despite any and all other differences because each of us share the bond as fans of our team–the Kansas City Royals.

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